Veszprem in Hungary - by Nigel A JAMES
The
Red Star of the Reds – A short story about plattenbaus
The
red stars, and statues of Lenin and Stalin may have gone from the
face of the old Soviet block, but there is still one
reminder that
takes us straight back to the heart of the Communist era. And, that
is the plattenbaus.
They are still to be seen all over the once eastern block.
Built
as of the 1950s, these enormous blocks of flats made of concrete
slabs were
not only designed to make everyone equal in true Leninist style, but
also to counter
the homelessness
caused by the war. And, they were, to a certain
extent,
successful. Each apartment came with its own WC, bathroom, simple
kitchen, hot and cold running water and heating. But, despite these
advantages, the plattenbaus were not very popular.
With
their grim characterless oneness, they offered very
little privacy. The walls were so thin that everyone was able to hear
what everyone else was saying and doing. And, on fine summer days
with windows wide open, everyone knew what everyone else was having
for lunch. The air was alive with a cocktail of kitchen smells,
babies crying, children screaming, loud music and talking and
squabbling! The smell of cabbage cooking carries a very long
way! But, there was something else, too.
The
plattenbaus were all part of a plan. A big social plan. Points were
needed in order to be awarded an apartment (and, for many people
there was no alternative). And the biggest scorers were children.
The more children you had, the better your chances. But,
unfortunately, big families were not always easy, and, quite often
it was the peace of living that suffered. But, that's how things
were. And, of course, with children came life!
And
life always manages to find its own course. And, because plattenbaus
were always built on huge estates on the edges of
towns, there was always a long way to go to the nearest shops and
facilities. And, so it was, that these estates became the ideal
places for small businesses and services. There were, and still are,
in and amongst the plattenbaus, many small shops such as
hairdressers, small grocery stores and even sometimes friendly bars.
And, each estate was provided with a kindergarten, playground and
school.
Of
course, there are similar constructions in the rest of Europe.
Apartment blocks built out of concrete slabs are not unusual. But,
wherever you go in the “west”, you will never find anything like
the plattenbaus of the “former east”. The character of these
buildings is their style, and style is a thing that's unique. And,
when it comes to comfort, the plattenbaus have just as much chance as
everything else. In your own four walls you can do what you like;
nice living is nothing other than taste!
But,
of course, life in the plattenbaus has reached its own social level.
There are as many close friendships and neighbourly contacts as there
are everywhere else. Its human nature. And, therefore, life in the
plattenbaus is set to continue. But, not as before!
The
plattenbaus are undergoing a renaissance! With generous help
from the European Union, these buildings are being brought up to date
with insulation and new coats of paint. These once grim
estates are now looking better than ever and have so acquired a brand
new feeling of “it's nice to be home!”.
And
so, what started as a solution has now become a goal in itself. Many
young people are now finding their first homes in these flats, and,
for the elderly, they have become the perfect place to come home to.
A good home is important and a plattenbau can be just as good as
anything else! And, sometimes, even much better!
This
Red Star of then is set to carry on shining for ever!
Vocabulary
certain extent – gewissermaßen
concrete slabs - Betonplatten
counter (to counter/countered/countered) -
entgegnen
eastern block – Ostblock
enormous - riesig
estates – Siedlung
grim – grimmig u.
trostlos
homelessness – Obdachlosigkeit
huge – riesig
insulation – Isolierung
once - einmal
oneness – Geschlossenheit
plattenbau - Wohnhaus
aus Betonplatten
reminder – Erinnerung
squabbling – Gezänk
undergoing (to undergo/underwent/undergone) -
unterziehen
